poco

/PO-ko/

A nearly empty bookshelf with only a few books on one shelf, illustrating the concept of 'few'.

This bookshelf has 'pocos libros' (few books). As a describing word, 'poco' changes to match the thing it describes.

poco (Adjective)

mA1

few?for things you can count, e.g., 'few people',little?for things you can't count, e.g., 'little time'

Also:scant?more formal,meager?implying not enough

📝 In Action

Hay pocos coches en la calle hoy.

There are few cars on the street today.

Tengo poca paciencia para estas cosas.

I have little patience for these things.

Recibimos pocas quejas sobre el servicio.

We receive few complaints about the service.

Related Words

Synonyms

escaso (scarce)
insuficiente (insufficient)

Antonyms

mucho (much, many, a lot)
abundante (abundant)

Common Collocations

poca gente – few people
poco tiempo – little time
pocos amigos – few friends

💡 Grammar Points

Making 'Poco' Agree

When 'poco' describes a thing, it must change to match. Use 'poco' for masculine things, 'poca' for feminine things, 'pocos' for plural masculine things, and 'pocas' for plural feminine things.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Forgetting to Match

Mistake: "Tengo poco amigas."

Correction: Tengo pocas amigas. You need to use 'pocas' because 'amigas' is a feminine, plural word.

⭐ Usage Tips

'Poco' vs. 'Pequeño'

Use 'poco' for a small quantity (not much/many). Use 'pequeño' for a small size (not big). A 'perro pequeño' is a small dog; 'poca comida' is a small amount of food.

A person whispering very quietly to another person, illustrating the idea of doing something 'a little'.

She is speaking 'poco' (little, quietly). When describing an action, 'poco' always stays the same.

poco (Adverb)

little?modifying a verb, e.g., 'to sleep little',not very?modifying an adjective, e.g., 'not very tall'

Also:not much?e.g., 'I don't go out much',slightly?e.g., 'slightly tired'

📝 In Action

Hablo poco, pero escucho mucho.

I speak little, but I listen a lot.

Mi abuela duerme poco por la noche.

My grandmother sleeps little at night.

El hotel está un poco lejos del centro.

The hotel is a little far from the center.

Es un actor poco conocido.

He is a not very well-known actor.

Related Words

Synonyms

escasamente (scarcely)

Antonyms

mucho (a lot)
bastante (quite a bit, rather)

Idioms & Expressions

poco a poco – little by little, gradually
por poco – almost, nearly

💡 Grammar Points

The Unchanging Word

When 'poco' tells you how an action is done (like 'hablo poco') or describes another describing word (like 'poco interesante'), it never changes. It's always just 'poco'.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Trying to Make it Match

Mistake: "Ella estudia pocas."

Correction: Ella estudia poco. Because 'poco' describes the action of studying, it doesn't change to match 'ella'.

⭐ Usage Tips

'Un poco' vs. 'Poco'

'Un poco' means 'a little' and sounds neutral or positive ('Estoy un poco cansado'). 'Poco' by itself means 'little' or 'not much' and can sound more negative ('Duermo poco').

Out of a large crowd of people, only a few are raising their hands, representing the pronoun 'few'.

Many people are here, but 'pocos' (few) raised their hands. Here, 'pocos' takes the place of saying 'pocas personas'.

poco (Pronoun)

mA2

few?standing in for people or things

Also:not many?as a reply to a question

📝 In Action

Muchos empiezan el curso, pero pocos lo terminan.

Many start the course, but few finish it.

—¿Necesitas más galletas? —No, gracias, con estas pocas es suficiente.

—Do you need more cookies? —No, thanks, with these few it's enough.

De todos mis amigos, pocos viven cerca.

Of all my friends, few live nearby.

Related Words

Antonyms

muchos (many)

💡 Grammar Points

Standing In for a Noun

You can use 'pocos' or 'pocas' to replace a noun you just mentioned. It saves you from repeating yourself. Just make sure it matches the original noun's gender and number.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Gender Mismatch

Mistake: "—¿Cuántas manzanas quedan? —Quedan pocos."

Correction: —¿Cuántas manzanas quedan? —Quedan pocas. You must use 'pocas' because 'manzanas' (apples) is a feminine word.

A hand adding a small pinch of salt into a cooking pot, illustrating 'a little bit of'.

To say 'a little bit of' something, like salt, you use the phrase 'un poco de'.

poco (Noun (in a phrase))

mA1

a little bit of?always used with 'un' and 'de'

Also:some?e.g., 'some water',a little?e.g., 'I need a little help'

📝 In Action

¿Quieres un poco de agua?

Do you want a little bit of water?

Necesito un poco de silencio para concentrarme.

I need a little bit of silence to concentrate.

Añade un poco de sal a la sopa.

Add a little bit of salt to the soup.

Related Words

Synonyms

una pizca de (a pinch of)

Antonyms

un montón de (a ton of, a lot of)

Common Collocations

un poco de todo – a little bit of everything
un poco de suerte – a little bit of luck

💡 Grammar Points

The 'Un Poco De' Formula

This is a fixed phrase for things you can't easily count (like water, sugar, time, luck). It's always 'un poco de', never 'una poca de'.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Using 'Una' Instead of 'Un'

Mistake: "Quiero una poca de leche."

Correction: Quiero un poco de leche. In this phrase, 'poco' is treated as a masculine thing, so it's always 'un poco'.

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: poco

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence correctly uses 'poco'?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

poquito(a tiny bit) - noun/adverb

poquísimo(very little, hardly any) - adjective/adverb

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between 'poco' and 'pequeño'?

'Poco' is about quantity (a small amount), while 'pequeño' is about size (a small thing). You can have 'poca agua' (little water) in a 'vaso grande' (big glass).

When do I use 'un poco' versus just 'poco'?

'Un poco' usually means 'a little' and is neutral or even positive ('Sé un poco de francés' - I know a little French). 'Poco' by itself often means 'not much' or 'too little' and can sound more negative ('Sé poco de francés' - I know very little French).